佯

yáng
亻 + 羊

Definitions

yáng to feign; to pretend

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 羊 represents the sound.

Semantic: 亻 Phonetic: 羊

About

The phono-semantic character 佯 combines the semantic radical 亻 ('person') on the left, signaling an action performed by people, with the phonetic component 羊 (yáng) on the right, which determines the pronunciation. Its core definition is to pretend, feign, or display a false appearance, always with deliberate intent to deceive or conceal one's true intentions. It frequently describes scenarios such as faking an illness to avoid labor, pretending ignorance of a known fact, or feigning madness as a strategic move, emphasizing that the act is a conscious deception rather than something natural or involuntary.

Example Sentences Hide

他佯装不知道。

Tā yángzhuāng bù zhīdào.

He pretended not to know.

小猫佯装在睡觉。

Xiǎo māo yángzhuāng zài shuìjiào.

The kitten pretended to be sleeping.

她佯装高兴地笑了。

Tā yángzhuāng gāoxìng de xiào le.

She pretended to be happy and smiled.

士兵们佯攻敌人阵地。

Shìbīngmen yánggōng dírén zhèndì.

The soldiers feigned an attack on the enemy position.

他佯装生病以逃避考试。

Tā yángzhuāng shēngbìng yǐ táobì kǎoshì.

He pretended to be sick to avoid the exam.

在谈判中，他佯装不满意的样子。

Zài tánpàn zhōng, tā yángzhuāng bù mǎnyì de yàngzi.

During the negotiation, he pretended to be dissatisfied.

为了迷惑对手，球队佯装要传球。

Wèile míhuò duìshǒu, qiúduì yángzhuāng yào chuánqiú.

To confuse the opponent, the team pretended to pass the ball.

尽管内心紧张，他仍佯装镇定地发言。

Jǐnguǎn nèixīn jǐnzhāng, tā réng yángzhuāng zhèndìng de fāyán.

Despite being nervous inside, he still pretended to be calm and spoke.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

他 们 你 作 但 使 体 什 代 信 化 位 任 何

Component: 羊

着 样 群 差 善 洋 鲜 详 祥 氧 羞 翔 痒 羌

Example Words

佯装 佯狂 倘佯